New Reviews by Title: K-O

Ami Okumura Jones narrates this quiet character-driven family drama about three mixed-race British Japanese sisters. Rei, the oldest, works in corporate finance in London, while middle sister Kiki is a single mother working in a retirement home in Tokyo. Youngest sister Ai is a rising J-pop idol caught in a national scandal. Ai's troubles bring the sisters back to their seaside... Read More

Lisa Flanagan narrates this historical novel with compassion. In 1942, almost 300 works of art from the Uffizi Galleries in Florence were hidden in a Tuscan villa to protect them from Nazi looting. Stella is sent to stay with her uncle in that villa, which he is overseeing for its absentee owners. There, Stella tries to find her place with relatives she's never known and to... Read More

Zola seems equally focused on all forms of corruption in Second Empire France--financial, political, and sexual. So it's fitting that narrator Leighton Pugh applies a high level of emotional intensity to this tawdry drama. The novel ranges from near incestuous lovemaking in a literal hothouse to the intricate details of women's gowns, styles of architecture, and real estate... Read More

Narrator Adam Lazarre-White once again immerses listeners in a dark, complex world crafted by S.A. Cosby. This gripping story explores identity, justice, and long-buried family trauma. When Roman Carruthers returns to his hometown to care for his dying father and support his sister, he's drawn into rescuing his troubled brother. As past and present collide, the mystery of their... Read More

Nia Serge and Jason Clarke perform this beautiful contemporary romance featuring a billionaire. Vuk has always avoided social events as much as possible and seldom chooses to talk due to a past traumatic experience. Ayana is his one exception and his forever obsession. However, she's off-limits since she's engaged to his best friend. But now, he may be willing to risk it all.... Read More

Many listeners will remember Malcolm Hillgartner's fine narration of Scott Anderson's compelling, much-admired LAWRENCE IN ARABIA. Here again, Hillgartner's frank, unbiased tone is a fitting complement to Anderson's scrupulous reporting of a history heavily encrusted with bias, controversy, and lingering grievances. America's long support of Iran's repressive Shah, its... Read More

Beth Eyre and Angus King narrate a historical novel set in 1613 during the reign of King James I of Scotland and England. King James's messenger, Andrew Logan, has been sent to Scotland on a clandestine mission, accompanied by his daughter, Phoebe, and court scrivener. At the start of the journey, English Phoebe dislikes Scottish Andrew immensely, and Eyre leans into Phoebe's... Read More

Jaunty music, heavy on bassoon, begins this audiobook, as narrator Fabian Cook, Jr., welcomes listeners to Kittybunkport, Maine, a coastal town populated entirely by scaredy-cats. When the town's lighthouse goes dark, Chowder, full of false bravado, and Crackers, openly timorous, are volunteered to take their lobster boat out to investigate. Narrators Sean Kenin Elias-Reyes and... Read More

Mary Russell's favorite uncle, Jake, turns up at her door after many years of absence. Mary finds herself caught between loyalties to her world-famous husband, Sherlock Holmes, and her ne'er-do-well uncle. Topnotch performances in alternate sections by Amy Scanlon, Steven Crossley and Jefferson Mays make King's latest Russell/Holmes outing sound like a full-cast audiobook. An... Read More

Aida Reluzco narrates a postapocalyptic tale of knights, shape-shifting demons, and a woman who is willing to do anything to protect her wife. Reluzco conveys Shrike's grim determination when she discovers that the knight who has come to slay the demon plaguing her village is none other than Sir John of Cincinnati, a legendary demon killer. Shrike knows she must act fast to... Read More

Samantha Hydeson delivers an immersive performance of this fantasy-romance. In the land of Traum, shrouded diviners like Sybil are revered for their ability to divine visions from the Omens. When her fellow diviners begin to go missing, Sybil embarks on a quest to find them, accompanied by Sir Rodrick and a grumbling gargoyle. Rodrick's heretical beliefs may save Sybil as she... Read More

Narrator Kirby Heyborne joins the Meskimen family--Jim, Tamra, and daughter Taylor--in energetically giving voice to a dozen new stories by the winners of the Writers of the Future contest. In this year's crop, AI features strongly with Heyborne creating a tone of schoolboy innocence in "The Boy from Elsewhen" by Barlow Crassmont. Taylor Meskimen finds a deceptively... Read More

Kristin Atherton shows off her vocal versatility throughout the second installment of the adventures of Lady Augusta Colebrook and her twin, Julia. Both are avid amateur detectives who hide behind the facade of being "old maids." Together, they seek justice for women who are mistreated by their husbands, brothers, or fathers, including Lady Hester, who has been brutalized and... Read More

Sophie Amoss's gripping narration propels listeners through Alice Springer's memories. As the 19-year-old waits in an 1886 Dodge City jail cell, her hanging imminent, the abusive husband she admits she killed reappears to add further torment. Amoss's Southern accent reflects Alice's Kentucky birthplace, but rather than sounding gentle, her voice has a bitter tone. Amoss's... Read More

Narrator Samantha Piper takes listeners to Camp Burntshore, a Jewish camp on a fictional lake in Ontario. This summer several staff vacancies have been filled by young members of the Israeli Defense Forces. They fit in way better with the horny, seemingly perpetually high counselors than does protagonist Ruby, a staunch anti-Zionist. Piper's staccato narrative style works well... Read More

Jorjeana Marie beautifully narrates the story of 17-year-old Arizona, a puzzle-solving loner who is still reeling from her father's recent death. When her mother is kidnapped by members of a mysterious organization while they're traveling, Arizona is forced to solve progressive cyphers and other puzzles that may solve an ancient mystery. Marie is outstanding at portraying... Read More

The author narrates her own work, a memoir about the period when her Missouri-raised children were coming of age. The title is a misnomer; the story really recounts a series of educational and entertaining road trips across the country as they visited state parks, caves, small-town museums, and many other colorful places. Kendzior uses the political landscape of the times we... Read More

Jilly Bond paints a charming portrait of Eugénie de Montijo, the last empress of France. The Spanish-born aristocrat married to Emperor Napoleon III was a woman ahead of her time. The Napoleonic Code defined women as little more than chattel. They were uneducated, taught only to be good wives and unable to do or think for themselves. Bond's narration portrays a fierce advocate... Read More

Narrator Timothy Andrés Pabon, a gifted storyteller, is an excellent choice for this sweeping retrospective of the counterculture movement of the 1950s-1960s and what made it so influential. Pabon deftly manages long lists of names, deep scholarship, and stories of bohemian life. McNally's scholarship shines with Pabon's voice. Pabon shares what could have been dry research in... Read More

Thérèse Plummer and Saskia Maarleveld, both outstanding storytellers, portray Laura and Helaine, two characters who span decades during and after WWII. Years after her traumatic experience volunteering for the Red Cross in Nazi Germany, Laura discovers half of an engraved necklace in England. Recognizing that the necklace is connected to her friend Franny, who mysteriously died... Read More

Narrator Natalia Payne draws the listener into three short romances, tailoring her narration to match each story. In one story, Natalie returns home to help her parents and encounters a beekeeper named Garrett. Payne brings out her initial frustration with him before warming her tone as the two draw closer. In the second story, Payne voices characters who range from the hero's... Read More

Erin Bennett's complex narration of this historical audiobook wraps listeners in a web of mystery. In early 1942, June Hudson manages the luxurious Avallon Hotel with calm certainty of her place in the world. When the State Department commandeers the West Virginia hotel to house Axis diplomats in the wake of Pearl Harbor, June realizes that nothing will ever be the same again.... Read More

Author Varian Johnson delivers his story of a little boy who is shouldering big responsibilities. Elijah's looking forward to spending time with his father on the weekend, but with a new baby in the family, Daddy needs to work--and Elijah needs to be a "little big man" at home. Johnson leans into the onomatopoeia and repetition that underscore the challenges of helping Mama and... Read More

Multilevel marketing companies such as Mary Kay and Amway promise the freedom, security, and status of being your own boss but seldom deliver on those promises. This gripping audiobook reveals the industry's misleading recruitment practices, financial tricks, and cunning social manipulation. Nikki Massoud narrates with documentary seriousness that resonates with every personal... Read More

Some of the poems in this collection were recorded at a reading in New York City, where Kay grew up. Her hometown is also one of her subjects. In those recordings, she connects with her audience, and we can hear the joy that she and they share in her very fine readings of her very fine poetry. She also reminds us of her successful background in spoken-word poetry--although even... Read More

Author Drew Daywalt delivers his comedic picture book with the exasperation of its unseen narrator, who must deal with Freddie, a dog who has unusual habits of dressing. In a series of vignettes, Daywalt voices the growing frustration of a human who responds to Freddie Two Pants, a canine who more than lives up to his name. Because of Daywalt's expressive talents, listeners... Read More

Narrator Andi Arndt transports listeners to Lake Tahoe as Lexi Clark returns home after years away. Lexi joins her stepsister, Ashley, and former classmate, Heath, who've been tasked with delivering envelopes to people who were wronged by Lexi's late mother, from whom she was estranged. A free spirit, Ashley is the more joyful of the sisters, while Lexi is more cautious. Arndt... Read More

Kyla Garcia takes listeners to rural Oklahoma with this slow-burn contemporary romance written by and featuring Native Americans. After an ill-advised magazine cover causes backlash and claims of cultural appropriation, pop superstar Avery Fox goes to her mother's hometown, where she hopes to learn about her heritage. Ranch worker Lucas Iron Eyes agrees to help her. As the two... Read More

Narrator Dion Graham and biographer Eig set the record straight on the triumphant and ultimately tragic life story of Lou Gehrig, one of the best first basemen and consistent hitters in baseball history. But the "Iron Horse," as sportswriters dubbed him because of his consecutive game streak, had his career cut short when he was diagnosed with ALS in 1939 and forced into... Read More

For a fun, witchy listen, you can't go wrong with Aubrey Plaza, who hams it up in a quirky narration. Luna has always wanted to be a witch like her grandma in Puerto Rico. When she finds a real witch's house, she gets the curmudgeonly witch, Pheenie, to teach her all she knows. But first, Luna needs to help get the house ready for a Halloween party. Plaza doesn't disappoint.... Read More

In this riveting work of historical fiction, listeners learn about the remarkable exploits of French Resistance leader Marie-Madeleine Fourcade and her intrepid agents who supplied vital information to the Allies during the dark days of WWII. Award-winning narrator Saskia Maarleveld tells this story in a hushed voice and conspiratorial tone. The plot moves swiftly, and... Read More

Emily Woo Zeller delivers this hopeful domestic drama about an unnamed Chinese American woman who is navigating a divorce and an illness. Weeks after her husband, Sam, bluntly confesses to an affair and moves out of their home, the woman is diagnosed with breast cancer. She copes with the separation by writing a manual about her ex-husband and sharing Chinese folklore that was... Read More

Edoardo Ballerini narrates this tale of two kingdoms that were set to enforce an arranged marriage in order to save the princess's kingdom. But right before the wedding, the princess fell in love with a lowly scribe. Anatole, once a prestigious magician, was ordered to create a potion to make the princess acquiesce to the arrogant prince. But Anatole felt fatherly towards the... Read More

Author/narrator Stephen Grant goes from a lucrative marketing job to being unemployed with cancer during Covid. Listeners join him as he moves back to Virginia and begins working as a rural mail carrier. He describes his joy at landing a job with health insurance, his in-depth training, the complexities of mail sorting, and various unique co-workers. Once he begins delivering... Read More

Two half-sisters who meet for the first time at their father's lakefront home in Maine after his death travel a bumpy road toward sisterhood. This audiobook is wonderfully narrated by Mara Wilson. Thirty-year-old Lucy, portrayed in a light, earnest tone, is spending the month of July at her father's summer home. Lucy and her warmhearted mother, a waitress, never lived with Hank... Read More

The title suggests the quintessential summer listen, and it doesn't disappoint. Jaime Lamchick delivers a strong performance of this audiobook, confidently telling the story of Nicola, Juliana, David, and Taylor. She captures nuances in conversations well, and the way she uses shifts in tone to add personality is quite effective. Inspired by the Fitzgerald classic THE GREAT... Read More

Helen Laser adopts a gravelly voice for this story of love, jealousy, and secrets. The creepy plot involves a painting titled "Marguerite By The Lake" and takes place at a garden estate named Rosecliff. Phoenix, a gardener, has a tumultuous affair with owner Geoffrey Gray, which is followed by the unfortunate death of his wife, Marguerite. Her death appears to have been an... Read More

Author and narrator Tourmaline invites listeners inside her warm and revealing biography of Marsha P. Johnson, an LGBTQIA+ icon, Black trans activist, and irrepressible spirit. In a deliberate, earnest performance, she explores the pivotal 1969 Stonewall Uprising in New York City, one of many key moments in Johnson's eventful life. Tourmaline adds vibrancy to quotations from... Read More

Samantha Desz dials down the vocal drama to provide a pitch-perfect documentary-style narration of this inspiring biography of the 20th-century pop music giant. With her comforting voice adding warmth and her interpretations never faltering, her easy-listening performance allows the author's writing and Krupa's captivating story to remain prominent throughout. The... Read More

Euan Morton, who narrated the first in this duology, concludes it with the strength it deserves. Story and narration find new depth as 13-year-old Max, a German Jew trained by British spies, returns to Berlin amid the horrors of the Nazi regime. His official mission? Infiltrate the heart of radio propaganda. His personal mission? Find his parents. Morton's narration has an... Read More

Narrator Harrie Dobby has her hands full performing this important audiobook, full of academic references and economic formulas. Cambridge economist/public policy professor Diane Coyle says that common economic benchmarks like unemployment rates and gross domestic product are designed in arbitrary or misleading ways. She says these measures of societal progress, formulated... Read More

Times have changed for John Rebus in this audiobook: He's not just a retired detective; now he's an ex-cop in prison who has been convicted of murder. Siobhan Clarke is heading up a missing-person investigation from a different Edinburgh office, while her friend Christine Esson has her old job and is investigating a murder that took place two doors down from Rebus at the... Read More

This powerful audiobook history of the closing months of the Civil War is fascinating and compelling. However, its narration by author Scott Ellsworth proves stiff, and several beats too slow. The listener will be riveted by Ellsworth's descriptions of the brutal battles that finally crushed Lee's army, Sherman's calculated ravaging of the Confederate heartland, and the... Read More

Senn Annis narrates this sci-fi thriller. The principal storyteller is Raina. She and Cedric are genetic engineers who were blacklisted in the industry when technology they developed was misused. When an eccentric billionaire approaches them to genetically engineer a solution for the survival of humanity, Raina sees a way of regaining the respect of their peers and escaping... Read More

E.A. Castillo brings enchanting charm to this captivating adventure. After a misstep, Maggie is sent to the Midwatch Institute. Pleasantly surprised and a little mesmerized by the reality of the orphanage, Maggie and her fellow first-year students embark on intriguing class schedules. The girls quickly discover that the school is engaged in solving mysteries and keeping the... Read More

Simply perfect! No detail is missing from an enchanting picture-book adaptation that needs no images. An orchestral score is seamlessly layered with the sounds of nocturnal creatures and the frightened murmured voices of Garden Glen residents who are scurrying to light lanterns to keep the darkness at bay. Narrator Elizabeth Knowelden's prim English accent perfectly suits... Read More

Author Pria Anand narrates her thought-provoking examination of the wonders and vulnerabilities of the human brain. In the process she blends memoir, history, folklore, and medical facts. Anand lacks the vocal resonance and nuances of a voice-over professional, but she speaks clearly and with conviction. Her narration is both accessible and relatable. Listeners will learn a... Read More

Elaine Pagels, renowned scholar of Christian history, is no stranger to the Gospels, those that are canonical, as well as the more obscure versions she calls "secret." However, deciphering the meaning behind those differing accounts of Jesus's life results in an often dense text. Eunice Wong's clear, well-paced, and straightforward performance works hard to make this material... Read More

Delivering these essays with a sense of urgency and passion, narrator Karen Chilton is excellent in this powerful audiobook. It opens with the essay "That Day in January," about the January 6th insurrection, and what follows is a perfect mix of history lessons, personal stories, and social commentary. No topic is off-limits as author Jeffers shares vulnerable stories and... Read More

The competition among the parents of Los Angeles's elementary school scene is front and center in this audiobook, narrated by Helen Laser. The dark comedy focuses on four moms: Milly, head of the PTA; Jillian, whose daughter is wait-listed by every private middle school; Dawn, who is back in L.A. after being exiled because of her husband's actions; and Heather, the person who... Read More

Narrator David Timson, renowned for his narration of the Sherlock Homes canon, performs this slowly unfolding tale of murder and deception written by a pioneer of detective stories in 1868. After the murder of two men and the injury of a third, sharp-eyed police detective Monsieur Lecoq follows clues through the streets of Paris. For the narrative Timson adopts a flat accent,... Read More

Narrator Eva Kaminsky creates a youthful voice for 12-year-old Maisie, whose mysterious text messages on her phone lead her to discover that she's a moonleaper. As one of these special kinds of time travelers, she's tasked with helping her dying Great-Aunt Hazel to change the future by changing the past. Maisie is uneasy at first as she tries to understand what is going on, all... Read More

Hillary Huber narrates this charming story of a cross-country road trip, an elderly woman with a wild past, and the subdued college student she convinces to be her getaway driver. Louise is a senior citizen with a newly healed hip, a need for privacy, and a secret past. Tanner is a college student who was recently divested of her soccer scholarship after a major injury and is... Read More

William DeMeritt's commanding performance is the perfect complement to Kevin Sack's tenth anniversary tribute to the 9 slaughtered members of Charleston's Mother Emanuel AME Church. This work is also a tribute to the rich and inspiring story of the Black church in America--a story laden with hope and hardship. Sack focuses mainly on the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME),... Read More

Nicholas Boulton's dignified English voice sets the stage for this novel about several mental hospital outpatients who are experiencing various aspects of life in London in the period from WWII to the 1980s. Golden Voice Boulton's narration is descriptive and employs various emotions when needed, such as gravitas for the bombings of London in the 1940s. The relationships among... Read More

Debra Michaels's lively performance takes full advantage of the descriptive scenes and energetic dialogue in this first novel from playwright Mel Pennant. Miss Hortense, who immigrated to the UK from Jamaica in 1960, was the backbone of her suburban Birmingham neighborhood. She even ran the Pardner, a money-raising and savings club that allowed members to accumulate modest... Read More

A quartet of narrators tells the story of Amber, a wannabe private investigator who moves in with her heretofore unknown grandmother in her retirement community when her latest relationship fails. Her grandmother, Jade, portrayed by Cynthia Darlow, is a true-crime podcaster. When a member of the podcast team is found dead, Amber puts her PI knowledge to the test. Darlow... Read More

Kimberly Farr delivers a pitch-perfect performance in this cozy mystery featuring widowed Mrs. Muriel Blossom. Just when she needs a fresh start, Muriel finds a winning lottery ticket and sets off for a Seine River cruise. On her way to Paris she meets the gentlemanly Allan. With his help, she is upgraded to business class and receives a sleep aid, which causes her to miss her... Read More

An interactive cast narrates this interview-style audiobook about a rock band headed by the ex-girlfriend of the Antichrist. To save the world, the band must defeat the Antichrist's new group in a battle-of-the-bands competition. Lisa Flanagan voices lead singer Lily Lawless with tenacity and poise. Flanagan's harsh, beautiful singing voice for the band's apocalypse-preventing... Read More

Narrator Meghan Kelly delivers this audiobook in a rapid and breathless voice. Emma remembers nothing before she came to Mist Glen. Now she works at Pages & Potions Bookshop because the witches who own it like her; furthermore, they helped her recover from a botched C-section. Also, Emma can see and talk to ghosts. Jody Haversham, a regular customer who is now a ghost, asks for... Read More

Narrator Coral Peña brings sensitivity and strength to this sweeping historical novel about bold Emilia, a young woman who is driven by her intellect, curiosity, and deep longing to chart her own path. She begins as an illegitimate daughter in America and grows into a fearless war correspondent in Chile. Peña's handling of multiple characters across continents and classes is... Read More

Hazar Elbayya narrates her picture book, bringing alive the emotions of a powerful story that speaks of war, hope, community, and resilience. In the opening, Elbayya expresses the tenderness between young Salaam and her grandfather, who teaches her the specialness of olive trees: their deep roots in the land and their ability to connect everyone. Elbayya's neutral tone reflects... Read More

Clearly, care and effort have gone into this audio production. Claire Warrillow's voice is lovely, and intervals of effectively spooky music add atmosphere. Warrillow voices Agatha Dorn, a solitary, resentful, gin-soaked, lesbian grammar snob and crank who might have been fun to watch on TV but is far less appealing as an unpleasant first-person voice in your head. Agatha is... Read More

Emily O'Brien voices 16-year-old Mullory Prudence and the other characters in this novel with a wide vocal range and quirky accents. James Babson's baritone pitches provide an abundance of variety for other characters, as well. Mullory is bombarded with multiple invitations to Stoutmire Estate to compete in a game of mystery royale for the chance to win a sizable inheritance.... Read More

Dervla Kirwan delivers a stunning performance of Knapp's powerful novel about the weight of choice, the search for identity, and the complexities of family. Her buttery voice creates a striking paradox--soothing and steady yet cut by the cruelty and sharpness of this story about Cora and the three narratives that unfold around the different names she gives her baby boy. Kirwan... Read More

Narrator Emily Pike Stewart has the energy and pitch needed to create authentic characters and captivate listeners. Working as a wilderness guide, Emlyn has a new simple life that keeps her safe and prevents her from thinking about her past--that is, until the man who ruined her life and left her for dead years ago shows up to ask for her help in finding Janessa. Reluctantly,... Read More

John Sackville's academic-sounding British accent does quite well in narrating this audiobook. A scholar of the national socialist period in Germany, Rees draws many parallels between how Hitler came to power and present-day politics in the West. However, while he decries the "us versus them" dichotomy--the propensity for humans to act in tribes--he seems to find it difficult... Read More

Set sail with narrator Ellie Gossage and this contemporary romance. Micah's band gained popularity in her teenage years after being featured on a hit television show. However, the group's second album never took off. A decade later, the band is reuniting for a performance on a themed cruise ship. Micah's bandmate and childhood best friend, John, misses playing music and is... Read More

Jessie Mueller provides a rich, satisfying performance that should please fans of King's audiobooks, particularly his most recent works. By now, King has fully embraced the detective genre. Private investigator Holly Gibney is back--with her dizzying intellect, ability to think through tough cases, and relatable quirks. The story is a revenge plot that has the murderer... Read More

Written by a team of notable leadership experts, this comprehensive guide describes how high performing groups of all kinds keep the momentum of success going strong. The authors use interviews, research, and moving stories from sports, business, and politics to create an accessible model of continuous effectiveness. Actor Julian Thomas performs with near flawless elocution and... Read More

Former child actor Mara Wilson (MRS. DOUBTFIRE) narrates this sapphic romance in which young actor Katrina Kelly hopes that coming out will jump-start her career and help her land adult roles. Dating the hot, butch manager of a bookstore starts off as a mere publicity stunt, but when she falls in love and realizes she hates the project she's auditioning for, she begins to... Read More

In Arya's latest romantic thriller, narrator Samantha Leatherwood takes on the role of Brooke Montgomery, a young woman struggling on her own who is about to marry attractive surgeon Noah Wimberly. Brooke embraces the idea of marriage but becomes uneasy when she hears that Noah's previous wife, who eerily resembled her, died under mysterious circumstances. Leatherwood portrays... Read More

Suzanne Toren's slower pacing, mature vocal timbre, and suffer-no-fools confidence make her performance a perfect fit for the late author's last audiobook, a collection of works written in the five years before her death at 96. Toren modulates her outsized dramatic talent to capture the full measure of class, wisdom, and charm of the New York City icon who was well known for... Read More

This homespun audiobook mixes memories and recipes. Golden Voice narrator Cassandra Campbell brings her talent for storytelling, ease with Italian words, and melodious intonation to this fun and fascinating listen. At Enoteca Maria restaurant on Staten Island, New York's least celebrated borough, eight Italian grandmothers, nonne, rotate their services as chef.... Read More

Jonathan Keeble's calm baritone adds just the right period touches to this seemingly simple mystery. In the small Dorsetshire village of Anneypenny, David Sewell witnesses the agonizing death of his friend. The local doctor claims the cause of death was gastric ulcers. David doesn't believe his diagnosis and slowly builds a case to prove otherwise. Keeble subtly introduces a... Read More

This slow-burn novel features two brilliant Harvard undergraduates who are caught up in the intoxicating allure of start-up culture when their biotech brainchild promises to change the world. Zoe, portrayed by Helen Laser, is born into an elite family and destined for greatness. Laser's boldly confident tone is perfect for the sharp, privileged young woman who is studying the... Read More

Who writer Joan Didion was has never been clearer than in her attempt to trace the emotional cosmos of her deeply troubled adopted daughter, Quintana. Built from a set of notes left on her desk, this posthumous work lends itself particularly well to narrator Julianne Moore's delicate twang. Whereas much of Didion's oeuvre is identifiable for its razor-sharp economy of language,... Read More

Narrator Clare Corbett brings struggling author Jane Hepburn to life as she attends a crime fiction festival in northern England. When Jane's covert plan to promote her own books results in her finding the murdered body of her much-reviled agent, she and a group of newfound friends set out to investigate. Corbett's strong characterizations create likable characters, and she... Read More

No one is better than Sir David Attenborough at communicating authentic awe and wonder at discoveries in the natural world. So it's no surprise that this audiobook on ocean ecosystems is an intimate and wildly informative joy ride into the sea. Attenborough, at age 99, reflects on his iconic career, including the horrific declines and astonishing recoveries he's witnessed over... Read More

Karissa Vacker strengthens this audiobook with her depictions of sadness and confusion as fifth-grader Pearl sinks into depression. Vacker captures the dismal messages in Pearl's brain, nasty communiqués from mean inner voices. Vacker also depicts caring family members and friends who note Pearl's changed behavior and worry. Vacker conveys Pearl's healing with the aid of a... Read More

Author and narrator Stephen Fry's fourth and final installment of his Greek Myths series showcases, yet again, his virtuoso storytelling skills. His literary retelling of Homer's tale of Odysseus's arduous journey home from the Trojan War stays true to themes of heroism, home, and the human condition while infusing the narrative with a modern wit and accessibility. There's... Read More

This heartfelt sci-fi monster mash-up of an audiobook is stunningly narrated by an excellent ensemble. Charlie Albers voices DEMETER, a spaceship that travels between planets whose human passengers keep getting murdered through paranormal encounters. Albers's impressive skill at differentiating voices enlivens the robotic DEMETER, who is filled with anxiety; sobbing children... Read More

British narrator Catherine Bailey brings listeners neuroscientist Gina Rippon's exploration of the calamitous underdiagnosis of autism in girls and women. Braiding together the history of autism research, accounts of copious experiments, and the voices of autistic girls and women themselves, Rippon makes a powerful case that autism research has ignored its distinctive... Read More

This audiobook benefits from the fine narration of actor John Grasl. Abe Jacob, a Mohawk living in Miami, returns to his tribal home on the New York-Canadian border. He's a failed poet who's divorced from a polyamorous wife and suffers from a rare autoimmune disease that has no cure. He also has a snarky alter-ego named Dominick Dear Woods, who narrates this compelling debut... Read More

Jennifer Aquino and James Fouhey take turns swapping the mic in this story of crush at first sight. It begins in the school nurse's office and continues when bullheaded Pacy and anxiety-ridden Cecil find themselves working together on the planning committee for the freshman dance. In alternating chapters, Aquino and Fouhey voice each teen's first-person account of the blooming... Read More

Set in 1967 in Toronto with scenes in Vietnam, this historical novel is performed admirably and authentically with Canadian inflections throughout by Liz Leafloor and Erin Moon. They deliver the voices and styles of both women and men in just the right tones and cadences. This matters in a novel that jumps from war protest to a psych ward and to the jungles of Vietnam. The plot... Read More

This is a serious and, at times, personal discussion of one of America's finest 20th-century writers. Colm Tóibín makes interesting connections between the American Black experience and that of the Irish. In fact, Tóibín winds up making meaningful connections between Baldwin and James Joyce, Henry James, and Oscar Wilde, among others. Gary Furlong's relaxed, pleasant tone and... Read More

Joe Jameson guides listeners through a dark yet hopeful fable of a boy who is reborn at a terrible cost. From the moment Willem awakens--neither fully alive nor wholly revenant--Jameson's gruff tone and English accent suggest a rugged, intimately human presence. Jameson's storytelling strikes a deft balance between eerie surrealism and heartfelt warmth, drawing listeners into... Read More

Eva Feiler gives an emotionally expressive performance of this historical novel. Listeners will feel they are witnessing history as they learn of the harrowing conditions two young Jewish women found themselves in during WWII in Nazi-occupied northern Italy. Anti-Semitic laws were in force, and military officers were rounding up Jews for deportation. Determined Esti, who is... Read More

Yetide Badaki returns to narrate the next audiobook in the She Who Knows series. Najeeba, now in her 40s, has lost her daughter, Onyesonwu, after the events of the author's novel WHO FEARS DEATH. Onyesonwu saved the world, erasing a history of genocide but also erasing her own existence. Only Najeeba remembers this forgotten history. Badaki's portrayal of Najeeba features a... Read More

Narrated by the versatile Will Damron, this informative audiobook explores Sam Altman's key role in developing artificial intelligence and co-founding OpenAI, the company that created ChatGPT. Like many tech visionaries, Altman was a precocious student who left college (Stanford) to create his first start-up, a location-based mobile app called Loopt. Narrator Damron keeps the... Read More

The author's gentle speaking voice and relaxed pacing are perfect vehicles for the wisdom and altruistic intentions of this exceptional audiobook. With fascinating research findings, moving stories, and impressive insights, the Stanford professor describes small interventions that can help people feel more worthwhile, productive, and supported by their communities. The kindness... Read More

Compelling and thought-provoking, this audiobook pulls listeners in and immerses them in a single-room flat in Singapore. Beginning in the present, the story jumps back to the past, introducing Genevieve, who is an only child for eight years--until Arin arrives. The girls navigate that transition, bonding as sisters until fractures take place. Ambition, betrayal, and resentment... Read More

Always comfortable behind the mic, coauthor and CNN journalist Jake Tapper is a natural choice to narrate his pointed rebuke of the Biden administration's disastrous end. Tapper--who moderated the infamous Biden-Trump debate during the 2024 campaign--has an animated delivery style that is mostly unadorned. There's one exception, however: When reading direct quotes, he mimics... Read More

In this "reimagined companion" to Louisa May Alcott's beloved LITTLE WOMEN, the emphasis is on the distinct voices of the three slightly less known but just as bright, energetic, and independent-minded sisters of budding writer Jo March. With a straightforward delivery, Laura Knight Keating finds the eldest, Meg, balancing motherhood (twins) with a new interest in turning her... Read More

Kaffe Keating and Heather Long give masterful performances of Everett's debut thriller about 10 strangers who have been kidnapped and brought to a mysterious house. Keating's and Long's nimble narration of strangers who range from an arrogant army captain to an ornery, lonely woman and a young, single mom with an infant daughter is full-bodied and keeps listeners invested.... Read More

Samantha Summers and Connor Crais deliver a uniquely narrated romance novel. Danica, voiced by Summers, is a divorce lawyer who has been assigned a high-stakes case that could elevate her to partner. Ezra, portrayed by Crais, is the opposing counsel, who is from a powerful family firm. The two have sparred in and out of the courtroom multiple times and are struggling to keep... Read More